The Financial Gazette

Wonai Masvingise and Kudzai Bare, Staff Reporters

CONFUSION continues to mar the ongoing constitution outreach programme with the co-chair of the Constitution Parliamentary Select Committee (CO-PAC), Paul Munyaradzi Mangwana and the Minister of Constitution and Parliamentary Affairs, Eric Matinenga yesterday giving conflicting statements concerning alleged political violence.

While Matinenga (MDC T) told journalists at a press briefing at the Quill Club that he was aware of incidences of violence being reported, Mangwana (ZA-NU-PF) contradicted him at  an earlier press conference at COPAC offices.
Mangwana said COPAC was not aware of any violence that had taken place at any of the meetings held so far around the country since the start of the outreach programme.
Mangwana maintained that the reports are false as he was not aware of any meetings that were aborted due to violence.
“Unfortunately, these reports are not substantiated.
“We have not received any reports of violence and if you hear any reports please assist us by letting us know so that we can go and investigate,” he said.
“If you hear about violence, make sure you get all the facts right, be sure a police report has been made and don’t write baseless allegations.”
However, Matinenga, whose party, supported by various non-governmental organisations, has produced dossiers of alleged political violence, said he would make sure the police investigates the incidents brought to his attention.
“Reports of violence are currently being investigated but it would be very unfair to say the process has been marred by violence. The police must investigate and make sure that whoever is responsible is brought to book,” he said.
Matinenga further said he would start his own monitoring exercise next week by personally attending outreach meetings.
While ZANU-PF has publicly denied any incidents of violence the MDC T yesterday issued a statement claiming that one of its activists, Tongai Ground, was battling for his life at Gokwe Hospital in the Midlands after he was allegedly stabbed by two ZANU-PF youths.
The party named the perpetrators of violence as Siyaseni Chatemera and Tawanda Kukama who are said to be still freely roaming Gokwe North. 
In Odzi, Mutare North in Manicaland province, Bond Godzi and his family have been evicted from Shemara Farm by a self-styled war veteran, Lameck Kutsava on the grounds that Godzi was too vocal during  a Copac meeting held at Odzi Country Club last Thursday.
Meanwhile, Copac meetings failed to resume in Manicaland province as the 30 Copac drivers assigned to the province have gone on strike demanding their allo-wances and an increase in daily allowances.
In Mwenezi, Masvingo province, a chief reportedly destroyed a 400 hectare winter maize crop at Makume Ranch accusing the owners of being strong MDC supporters. The MDC- T said the crop was destroyed after Chief Chitanga, who is also a senator, drove cattle into the fields claiming that the 49 owners of the maize crop were MDC supporters.
The party said the chief’s actions had left the local community in shock as the maize crop, which was reaching maturity stage was boosting the country’s food security.
The chief was allegedly assisted by his aides and police special constabularies in destroying the maize crop.   
In another separate incident, Zanu-PF supporters on Monday allegedly disrupted a COPAC meeting at Kaziro Business Centre, Madziva in Shamva North, Mashonaland Central pr-ovince.
During the commotion, the MDC Women Asse-mbly’s chairperson for the province, Martha Muronzi was allegedly assaulted by the alleged rowdy Zanu-PF youths.
Sources familiar with the incident said the Zanu-PF youths were complaining that Muronzi had submitted a written proposal during the meeting and yet the Copac team had not told them they could also do the same.
The Zanu-PF youths  said that they should be the only ones who should be allowed to make contributions during the meeting. 
“They took my written submission from the Copac team and tore it saying the MDC people are not allowed to write or say anything,” Muronzi said. The Zanu-PF youths then allegedly turned rowdy forcing the Copac team to cancel the meeting.
The youths were being led by Saineti Manyika, a village head.
Muronzi has reported the case at Madziva Police Station.
The same say three MDC activists in Seke district, Mashonaland East were arrested on charges of burning a house belonging to an unnamed Zanu-PF supporter.
The three Joseph Nyandoro, 70, Jacob Chivaura, 61 and Mwarianesu Mutandwa, 63, who had contributed immensely during a Copac meeting held at Mupfuri Primary School in Ward 17, were allegedly apprehended soon after the meeting.  They were said to be still detained at Beatrice Police Station.
In Mhuke and Virimayi villages in Zaka West, Masvingo province, Zanu- PF youths led by one Faustinos Murambatsvina, were allegedly said to be harassing, intimidating villagers and threatening that they will set-up torture bases in the area if the villagers speak at the constitution-making meetings.
Police spokesman, Way-ne Bvudzijena, said he had been made aware of the incidents being reported by NGOs and the MDC.  
Incidences of violence and intimidation have been reported in Mashonaland West by the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, which claimed that a Zanu-PF supporter disrupted outreach meetings in Chinhoyi, prompting Copac teams deployed to various centres to be recalled.
Three other NGOs, the Zimbabwe Peace Project, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network and the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, recently reported the assault of three of their monitors.

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